Older People's Commissioner for Wales

Commenting on the appointment of Sarah Rochira as the second Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Robert Taylor - Chief Executive Officer of Age Cymru says:

“Age Cymru in its previous incarnations as Age Concern Cymru and Help the Aged in Wales lobbied extensively for the creation of an Older People’s Commissioner for Wales.

"We welcomed the appointment of Ruth Marks as Wales’s first – and possibly the world’s first ever, Older People’s Commissioner in April 2008.

“This was a significant milestone in the campaign to secure equal rights for older people and it also heralded that society was changing its attitude towards age and older people’s issues by adapting itself to the needs of our ageing population.

“Ruth Marks’s legacy as the first Older People’s Commissioner for Wales is as a visible and identifiable champion of older people who helped to put older people’s issues firmly on the map.

“Ruth has overseen a number of notable successes, in particular the Commission’s first review, ‘Dignified Care?’ which highlighted deficiencies in the care of some older people in hospitals in Wales.

“We also thank Ruth for her commitment to the work we have done together to tackle the abuse of older people in Wales.

“Her success in the post helped to pave the way for the appointment of an Older People’s Commissioner for Northern Ireland and it fuelled the debate about the need to create a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland.

“We congratulate Sarah Rochira on her appointment as the second Older People’s Commissioner for Wales and we look forward to continuing the close working relationship that Age Cymru has established with the Older People’s Commission.”